Chicken Tacos with Pineapple Pico de Gallo

[fuzzyred]

I had some chicken breasts in the freezer I wanted to use, so I figured this was a pretty good recipe for that.

( Chicken Tacos with Pineapple pico de gallo from the tasteofhome 2012 annual recipes cookbook )

Thoughts and Variations
I made the pico de gallo yesterday, to save myself some time today, and it came together pretty easy. I need to see if I can find a substitute for cilantro though, because it has an "off" taste to me; not quite soapy but that's the closest I can come up with. I couldn't find a salt-free garlic blend, so I picked up "Club House Blends Garlic Plus" and then left out the salt when cooking the chicken. I used a 1/2 teaspoon of the seasoning as a result, though I probably could have used a bit more. Also, since I was using incooked chicken that I cubed myself, I didn't add the spices until the chicken was just about fully cooked.

I liked the pico de gallo a lot (wasn't sure I would) though like I said, next time I might something to replace the cilantro. The chicken was okay, maybe a touch dry, but decent flavour. The corn tortillas... To me, they have an odd texture and are kind of bland which makes the texture harder to get over. It probably doesn't help that I missed the part where I was just supposed to fold the sides over and I tried to fold the bottom up too like I usually do with tacos. The corn tortillas cracked when I did that so I had a bunch of "extra" pieces that ened up left over after I ate all the filling. I also definitely recommend putting the pico de gallo *in* the tacos, not on top or on the side. It's much less messy and I found that you need the flavour and juiciness from the pico de gallo to bring everything together.

All in all, a dish that I'm happy I tried, but I might make a fee substituions and changes if I made it again.

Maple Nut Wafers

[valoise]

This recipe comes from the 1915 cookbook, Candy-Making at Home by Mary Mason Wright www.gutenberg.org/files/43370/43370-h/43370-h.htm#Page_172 This is one that I've wanted to try for quite a while, but none of my local stores have powdered maple sugar. I ordered some online, but it's a but pricey. Next time I visit relatives in an area that produces local maple syrup and maple sugar I'll see if I can get some a little cheaper.

Maple Nut Wafers

Cream together one cupful of maple sugar and one-half cupful of butter, add two eggs, the whites and yolks beaten separately. Sift and add two thirds cupful of flour and one-half cupful of chopped nut meats. Sift in the flour one teaspoonful of baking-powder. The batter should be of the right consistency to spread thinly over a buttered pan; if too stiff add a little milk. Sprinkle over the top with coarse chopped nuts. Bake rather slowly and cut into squares before removing from the oven.

The method was a bit unusual, like spreading a thin layer of cake batter over parchment paper, but it worked out well. I almost made the mistake of taking it out of the oven too early, so be sure to wait until rises and then falls a bit and browns nicely.

Midnight Brownie Cookies

[fuzzyred]

Whoops, I posted this on my journal last week but forgot to post it here.

About two weeks ago, I made Midnight Brownie Cookies from Sally's Cookie Addiction by Sally McKenney.

Ingredients
4-ounce (113g) bar semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (120mL) canola or vegetable oil
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups (210g) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions
1. In a large heatproof bowl, melt the chopped chocolate in the microwave in 15-second increments, stopping and stirring after each until completely smooth,. Allow to cool down for 5 minutes. Whisk in the oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
2. Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt together in a separate medium bowl.
3. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and, using a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat together until combined. The dough will be very thick and a little greasy.
4. Cover and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (and up to four days). If chilling for longer than 3 hours, allow it to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before rolling and baking because the dough will be quite hard.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius). Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside.
6. Roll balls of dough, about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per cookie, and place 3 inches (7.5cm) apart on the baking sheets.
7. Bake for 13 to 14 minutes, or until the tops begin cracking.
8. Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
9. Cookies will stay fresh in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Makes about 20-22 cookies.

In the book, there is a note that says these cookies go well the the caramel sauce from another recipe; she is right. I made the caramel sauce (sorry for not including the recipe) and drizzled it over about half the cookies. The cookies were easy enough to make, and the batter still comes together even if you use a wooden spoon. I did, because I was worried about a thick dough clogging the beaters and overtaxing the motor of my handheld mixer. The caramel was just sugar, butter, and heavy cream, with a little salt at the end and came together rather quickly and easily.

The cookies were delicious! Rich and chocolatey, with the best kind of brownie crust/chewiness. The caramel was a very good complement to them and I think it added that little extra that the cookies needed, though they are still tasty on their own (just a touch dry). These are definitely going on my bake again list, though I may or may not doing the caramel next time.